The Biggest Question the Commanders Still Haven’t Answered After Free Agency

It's been an interesting couple of weeks of free agency. There have been some highlights and lowlights this free agency period, but overall, the Washington Commanders have done a fairly honorable job at reshaping the roster from what it was a season ago.

While some groups were heavily addressed in free agency, see the running back and edge rushing rooms, others were not, and thus the Commanders need to be paying heavy attention to their plans in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Many will point toward the biggest question surrounding Washington post-free agency being the lack of a true wide receiver threat opposite of Terry McLaurin. However, the bigger, yet hardly mentioned, question for the franchise at this juncture is what is the plan at the starting center for quarterback Jayden Daniels?

A Stark Contrast

The Commanders and Adam Peters have done a fantastic job of not getting complacent, getting young talent to back up veterans while they continue to develop, with the understanding that said younger player will eventually become the successor.

A prime example is Washington drafting Jer'Zhan "Johnny" Newton despite having a wealth of big bodies on the defensive line, particularly Daron Payne.

Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne (94) Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

While the Commanders have had succession plans in the past and currently have them in place, the area they haven't addressed is center after cutting Tyler Biadasz.

Washington is practically saying they are fine with a complete unknown at center for our franchise quarterback, with guard Nick Allegretti set to be the starting center Week 1, making it a fascinating contradiction to how they have built out most of the rest of the roster.

The Gambling Man

As mentioned, the current "answer" for the Commanders at center is moving guard Nick Allegretti to center to replace Biadasz.

Allegretti, who is a natural guard that hasn't played center, will have to quickly pick up the nuances of the position. That means calling out what the opposing offense is doing and getting the offense aligned pre-snap to avoid costly mistakes or penalties.

It's a massive gamble to put so much trust in a player that hasn't shown the ability to do that, but there is always the possibility it works out. Allegretti will also be asked to help bring in a new offense that prioritizes more under-center snaps than in shotgun.

On top of the obvious duties for a center, Biadasz was one of the top centers in the entire league a season ago, allowing zero quarterback hits and only 21 pressures. If Allegretti, or even a late-round draft pick, struggles to set the protections for Daniels, the most expensive and important weapon of the offense, things could head south in a hurry.

Parting Words

While many fans are still flight tracking for their next WR2, the real biggest question is why the Commanders are comfortable with a wait-and-see approach at center rather than solidifying one of the most important positions on the field. They have a clear succession plan in place for other areas, so why not here?

In an NFC East known for punishing interior pass rushes, it's an extremely dangerous game to play by not having a proven center to protect Daniels. If things in fact don't go well with the Commanders' gamble on having a guard playing center for Jayden Daniels, we may quickly find out that the most important weapon lost this offseason wasn't Deebo Samuel, but rather the Biadasz – the guy who kept the pocket from collapsing and things in rhythm to keep the offense flowing.